In Their Own Words: Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel

August 25, 2017

Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel

How we first met:

Through Young Farmers which is essentially a charitable youth club for people in the country, and also through mutual friends.
Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel

When I knew he/she was the one:

We think we realised when Katie was looking at buying a flat on her own - we'd only been together 4 months, but we knew we wanted to buy a house together - a big step!
Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel

The one thing we love most about each other:

The thing Katie loves most about Andrew is how he always looks after her and puts her before himself.
The thing Andrew loves most about Katie is that she wants to spend time with me and do things together.
Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel

The proposal:

I didn't see it coming, but we had discussed we would like to get married one day. We'd been moved into our house for 6 months and had our gorgeous dog Rosie for 5 months. He asked my Dad for a drink on a Wednesday evening (not something they normally do) and my Mum went along too, he asked for their blessing, which they gave. The following day Andy acted really weird and said we were going for dinner - not something we normally do on a Thursday. He was odd all through dinner, and then when we got home (I was feeling very full and a little tipsy) he made me come and see him in the hallway, and there he was, on one knee, with Rosie going a little crazy next to him, and he proposed. Simple and private, it was perfect.
Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel

Why we chose our wedding ceremony and reception venues:

I was never the type of girl to plan my wedding when I was little - it just wasn't something that interested me. However, as soon as I gave it any thought, I knew I wanted to get married at St. Leonard's church in Catworth - the village where I grew up. It was where I went as a little girl, and I like the tradition of it. To me, marriage is a religious act, and that was what felt right.
Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel
To be honest, we only went to one wedding venue - The Courtyard in Stanwick. We didn't need to see anywhere else - it was perfect and had everything we needed. The staff couldn't have been more helpful and the actual building ticked all the boxes we wanted - simple, relaxed, yet a bit pretty, lovely gardens, and rooms for family.

Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel

What led us to choose Mike Brown Photographic for our photography and videography:

We saw a few photographers at wedding fairs but we met Mike at Vesuvio in Sharnbrooke, and he stood out due to the slideshow he does at the end of the day for the Bride and Groom - we thought it was a beautifully special touch and booked him soon afterwards.
Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel

Some of the most memorable moments in the day:

We both believe that me walking down the aisle was a big moment - I was incredibly nervous as I don't really like everyone looking at me, but once I saw Andrew and focused on him, it was all ok.
Our first dance was also a big moment - we had done a routine, and were both nervous. We hadn't told anyone so it was a big surprise, but it went well and people seemed to enjoy it!
Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel

How we felt about how the photography went:

We were both very happy with the photography - we got all the photos we wanted, and didn't feel like taking them took away from the day. Also, the photos that were not staged were done very discreetly, and Mike was very good at 'fading into the crowd' if that makes sense, and sometimes I forgot he was there (I realise that sounds awful and horrible, but its a good thing in an event photographer - promise!)
We also got our photos super duper quickly which pleased and surprised me!
Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel

Our honeymoon:

We aren't really 'sit on a beach' people - there is too much of the world to explore! We decided to go inter-railing around Europe. We went on the Monday after the wedding on the Saturday, so were still quite tired, but got up at 5am and got the Eurostar to Paris, after a few days went to Zurich, Switzerland, then to Vienna, Austria, then Bled, Slovenia and finally to Croatia where we visited Split and Dubrovnik before flying home for a few days at home before going back to work. It was very tiring, but incredible and so much fun!
Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel

Our advice for couples starting to plan their wedding:

Don't stress. Easy to say I know, but if you get your ceremony, venue and photography (we recommend Mike!) booked early, the rest of it kinda just slots into place. I took on doing most of the wedding planning, and I'm quite a calm person and tend to only worry when things need worrying about, but when I did find myself beginning to panic, Andrew always calmed me down. You're doing this as a partnership and that needs to be remembered.
In that vein also, remember why you're doing it - it's for you and your partner - not your family, not your Instagram, not to impress other people. If you want to, or don't want to, do something - that's your decision.
Andrew and Katie at Catworth and The Stanwick Hotel